Spiced Pear Tart — cinnamon-and-clove pear tart
A spiced pear tart amplifies the autumn dimension of the pear tart with cinnamon, cardamom, clove and star anise in the frangipane or poaching liquid. It is a deeper, more wintry version.
i. Origin & history
Spice-and-pear is a particularly Northern European combination — pears benefit from warm spices in a way that gentler fruits do not. The pairing appears in German Birnbrot and Polish szarlotka variants.
ii. Ingredients
Makes 10 servings · scroll the side panel to adjust
- 1 sweet shortcrust pastry, blind-baked
- 3 ripe pears
- 500 ml red wine
- 100 g sugar
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 star anise
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp cardamom
- Frangipane as for tarte aux poires, plus 1 tsp cinnamon and 0.5 tsp ground cardamom
- Flaked almonds
iii. Method
- Poach pears in red wine with sugar, cinnamon, star anise, cloves and cardamom 20 min. Cool in liquid; they will turn deep ruby.
- Make spiced frangipane (add cinnamon and cardamom).
- Slice pears; arrange on frangipane; scatter almonds.
- Bake at 180 °C for 40 min until golden.
iv. Tips & common mistakes
- Use the freshest ingredients you can. The recipe relies on them.
- Read the method through first. Several steps must be ready in advance.
- Season patiently. Sweetness and salt are tuned at the end, not the start.
v. Variations
Star anise pear tart emphasises anise. Cardamom pear tart is more floral. Pear-and-mulled-wine tart uses mulled-wine poaching liquid.
vi. Common questions
What is spiced pear tart?
Spiced Pear Tart is cinnamon-and-clove pear tart, from french cuisine. It is a deeper, more wintry version
Where is spiced pear tart from?
Spiced Pear Tart is from the french dessert tradition; the recipe and history are detailed above.
How long does spiced pear tart keep?
See the storage note in the Quick facts panel: 3 days refrigerated.